Rents account maintenance overview
An account is linked to a tenancy agreement and categorises the nature and range of charges therein. The way that accounts are structured and employed is at the discretion of the housing organisation but in general terms will be subdivided into asset-based and sundry-based charges. For example, an account type of 'rental' or 'residential' might be created to group together those direct charges arising through the letting of a property e.g. basic rent, heating, service charges, etc. A separate account within the same agreement may also be created for associated optional charges, such as the rental of a garage, which is also available to the tenant. Individual charges incurred separately for the residential property and the garage are then linked to the unique accounts but combined within the same overall agreement. That approach makes the tracking of charges easier, both for the housing organisation and also the tenant. A further account, still within the same agreement, might be created to manage the charging of, say, indirect 'sundry' items such as ground rent, rechargeable repairs, an allotment, etc. Any number of charges can be linked to an individual account, with the charge comprising any number of elements (components of the charge). Configured as an attribute of the account, housing organisations can dictate which account charges will be collected by them, or alternatively via a nominated agency. Similarly, an account may also be linked to a sponsor i.e. the responsible contact who will meet the payments on behalf of the tenant. For example, a local health trust may rent a number of properties from a housing organisation for employed medical staff.
Separate help articles have been created for each key aspect of rents account maintenance, including: